Precious Shin-chan
by goldenightingale
Summary: Where Shinichi is surrounded by overprotective nut heads, and he just remains oblivious to it all while still being the adorable Shin-chan we all love. Ran is fending off possible suitors from her adorable baby brother. Yukiko is just happy she has more pictures for her collection. Totally shounen ai. Rating might change depending on who's trying to court Shin-chan.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Shinichi flopped down on the couch, exhausted. He had finally managed to get back to his original body after they had managed to bring down the Organization. It had required a lot of collaborative efforts among police force around Japan, as well as international agencies like FBI and CIA.

"Kudo-kun, I told you to tell me when you got home, remember?"

Shinichi managed to bring his head up just enough to look at Haibara, the mini-scientist looking extremely put off at him. Upon seeing his state though, she relaxed her posture enough to walk around the couch to check on him.

"What happened this time, boya?"

Shinichi groaned, curling a little around himself as Haibara placed her hand on his forehead. He answered, "Another murder case. Satou-san and Takagi-keiji was there too, so it was pretty easy-going until the murderer decided to escape. She used to be a gymnast, so catching her was tricky."

Akai hummed in reply, one eyebrow raised. He was worried for the teen's condition; it had only been a few days since he had reverted to his original size, and Haibara was still conducting daily check-ups on him. Though the antidote had worked permanently on the detective, his body was still a bit weak, what with having only eaten enough for a child for two years. Furthermore, his immunity system was shot, and chasing around murderers was not really helping him get any better.

"Well, you have a slight fever, so you won't be moving around anymore for today. I'll tell the Professor to bring the kids here so we can have dinner together later." Haibara told him, pulling out the necessary medicine from her kit.

Akai moved forward, having gotten a blanket as Haibara conducted her check-up. He draped it over the teen, receiving a faint smile in thanks. "Haibara-san, I can cook for the dinner today, then. I planned on making curry, and I'm sure the children would like that."

Haibara gave the man a deadpanned stare. "That's because curry is the only food you had managed to cook to perfection. I can't believe you're still having problems in cooking even after having Ran-san and Yukiko-san teach you regularly."

The man huffed, left hand scratching his cheek lightly in embarrassment. Haibara sniffed dismissively. "I'll let you cook then, I don't feel like grocery shopping for a few weeks anyway."

Shinichi rolled his eyes as he watched the byplay. Haibara, having chosen to bury Miyano Shiho and start anew as Haibara Ai, had been quite incensed upon learning that Okiya Subaru was actually Akai Shuuichi. She had her suspicions, so wasn't entirely surprised, but annoyed at Shinichi for having hidden the truth from her. The last few months before the takedown, it had been necessary to bring the pieces together, and that had included revealing a few truths to those involved in the main plan.

The only FBI agents included in the actual planning were Jodie, Camel, and James, who had already been informed by Akai's non-death. Other agents were surprised, but were pleased, considering how many agents of their own had infiltrated the Organization and the few number that were still alive. The reputation he had built up as one of the deterrents of the Organization had helped him be welcomed with open arms.

Except for Amuro Tooru, or Furuya Rei.

Similarly with Haibara, he had his suspicions, and was only foiled by the plan Shinichi had conducted with the help of his parents. Furuya had still not forgiven Akai for the supposed murder of his partner, and refused to cooperate entirely with Akai. It had taken the intervention of Shinichi, to calm the man enough to listen to what really happened.

It had also taken the reveal of Edogawa Conan being Kudo Shinichi for the agents to listen to a supposed child. The reveal had garnered the expected shocked reactions, but Shinichi was baffled to find the agents taking the reveal seriously.

 _Jodie explained to him privately after the rest of the agents had gone home, "You can't blame us Boss. This whole time, even just knowing you as Edogawa Conan, we had been putting our trust in you. Learning that you're not really a child eased our conscience for putting you in danger."_

 _She chuckled, "Besides, it's soothing to our pride that we hadn't really been outsmarted by a kid, you know?"_

And that had been that. Division 1 had been more than pleased after learning the information, having seriously missed the loss of Conan. Shinichi had been worried that their treatment with 'Shinichi' would be awkward, but they were made of stronger mettle than he knew. Takagi-keiji had been relieved, suspicions finally put to rest. He had later learned that it had been him who had made a separate file for 'Edogawa Conan', when he had stumbled upon the realization that Conan's fingerprints matched Shinichi's.

Shinichi's parents had also come home for those months, providing support whenever he needed it. It had been through his mother that he had been able to get a hold of the Kaitou KID. Yukiko had apparently been friends with the former Phantom Lady, who had joined them after having learned that the same crows he was after were part of the crows that had killed her husband and were threatening her son.

Kaitou KID, or rather, Kuroba Kaito, had not been pleased with the nonchalant reveal of his identity to his favorite critic.

 _"_ _That's cheating, Tantei-kun." The thief pouted, as he lounged on one of chairs on the library. According to him, his mother had surprised him that morning, suddenly appearing at the kitchen table instead of some country somewhere. His mother, Kuroba Chikage as she introduced herself, had simply threatened him and forced him into the car, before arriving at the Kudo house._

 _Conan leaned his cheek on his palm as he amusedly observed the teen in front of him. He had been stunned by the obvious similarity the boy had with his appearance, dazedly allowing the enthusiastic Chikage to cuddle him as he stared at the teen who had frozen and was currently avoiding his gaze._

 _"_ _You won't remember me, but I'm Kuroba Chikage. This is my son, Kaito." She introduced, waving a hand towards the horrified boy who was directing a betrayed look at his mother._

 _"_ _Chi-chan!" At the squeal, the woman released him, just in time to be glomped by his mother, who simply pushed Conan and Kaito to the library with a warning to 'Play nice!' before linking arms with Chikage and chattering all the way to the living room._

 _Conan snorted, pleased and a bit surprised that the thief didn't bother refusing his earlier statement of "Of course KID's civilian persona would be named Kaito." He had no physical evidence of course, but being a small kid allowed him to see a glimpse of the face behind the monocle at times. Not to mention, the numerous times the thief had used Kudo Shinichi's face to get through inspection. But the casual use of the nickname 'Tantei-kun' only confirmed the identity of the teen before him._

 _"_ _It's not cheating if your mother was the one who revealed your identity, KID."_

 _The thief merely rolled his eyes at him, "You can at least call me Kuroba, you know. No need to proclaim to the world that I'm KID. Much less around that Hakuba."_

 _Conan had merely rolled his eyes back, before picking up one of the files and scanning its contents. "Hopefully, Edogawa Conan won't exist after we bring down the Organization, so he won't be able to tell anybody your secret would he?"_

 _Slyly glancing over his fake glasses, he continued, "And Kudo Shinichi had never shown an interest in thieves before, so he why would he know Kaitou KID's true identity?"_

 _The thief bounced to his feet, pushing down the file he was reading as he said, "Seriously?!" At Conan's deliberate ignorance, he grinned, putting his hands behind his back. Conan felt him examine him a few seconds before he said, "Would Kudo Shinichi be adverse to meeting Kuroba Kaito soon though?"_

 _Conan blinked, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks, pleased as he was at what the thief was offering. He smirked, feeling it grow wider at the answering similar smirk on the thief—Kuroba—as he said as nonchalantly and innocently as he can. "Shinichi-nii-san is family friends with Kaito-nii though, didn't you know?"_

Aside from KID knowing his identity though, the only other people told about his real identity out of those not included in the takedown were the Detective Boys and Ran. The three children had believed him easily, and Conan had sheepishly agreed that learning he was actually a teenager was easier to believe combined with his previous lame excuses for his knowledge before. It had been his reveal to Ran that had scared him the worst though.

Initially, Conan planned on confessing after the Organization was taken down, to ensure that there would be no danger to her. However, even Ran wasn't dumb enough to believe the constant excuse of Conan to go to the Professor's to 'play some new game he invented'.

 _"_ _Conan-kun." The call of his name startled Conan badly, one hand automatically flicking his watch open, already posed to shoot the intruder. He had gotten home late after one of their meeting sessions. He couldn't sleepover, as he had promised Ran that he would be home for the morning to join Ran and Sonoko to one of their trips out of town._

 _Facing him, however, was the concerned face of Ran. He immediately closed his watch and hid it behind his back, but he knew Ran had seen it already. Ran hesitated, "Are you alright, Conan-kun?"_

 _Conan hadn't meant to reveal his identity that night, but seeing Ran look so tired and worried… What was he going behind her back for, if she was going to still worry? He was tired, and tense, plan after plan being rejected as they tried to bring down the Organization that had its roots in deeper than they thought. He was tired._

 _"_ _Ran." Conan took off his glasses, meeting Ran's gaze. In them, he could see a slight realization and suspicion. He smiled bitterly. "Can we talk?"_

 _So they did. He started from the very beginning, from when he left her at Tropical Land, to what they were doing now. He didn't give many details, simply gave the bare necessities and waited for her reaction._

 _He was expecting a slap, or a scream, or simply giving him the cold shoulder. He didn't expect hands to embrace him, or tears to wet his shoulder as Ran cried._

 _"_ _I was so worried! So worried, you idiot!" She cried some more, and Conan—Shinichi—could only pat her back and hug her tighter, murmuring his apologies._

 _After a while, she calmed down enough to lean back, and asked, "So you're planning on taking down this Organization then?" At his nod, she sighed, wiping her tears. "That's what the late-night activity is all about, isn't it? Then I guess you need more time to stay over there don't you?"_

 _Shinichi gaped at her, "Aren't you—aren't you mad?"_

 _Ran stared at him, eyes warm as they always were. "Baka Shinichi. How many times had I figured out your secret? Sure, you managed to get away one way or another, but have some faith in me! We were childhood friends; some glasses won't hide who you are to me."_

 _"_ _Besides," she continued, smiling softly, "You've been there to protect me the whole time aren't you? I'm mostly relieved that I know where you really are now, instead of worrying that you were dead or something."_

 _Conan's sight became blurry, and pressed the heels of his palm to his eyes, but tears kept coming. "Shinichi. . . It's okay, you know? I guess, subconsciously, I'm just waiting for you to admit it."_

 _"_ _I don't deserve you Ran." He whispered, and Ran's eyes watered at the pain in his voice. "I kept lying to you, kept making you cry. I just wanted to keep you safe-!" He looked at Ran imploringly, begging her to understand why he did what he did. "It's not because I didn't trust you! But these people can hurt you so easily-!"_

 _He was stopped by Ran putting their foreheads together. "Shinichi. I can never be mad at you because you were worried for me." Her eyes opened, and Shinichi felt so free at the acceptance in her eyes. "I love you, Shinichi." His breath caught, and his cheeks felt a bit hot. She smiled, a tiny smile that seemed a bit lonely. "And I loved Conan too. He was my baby brother, and he protected me when 'Shinichi' couldn't."_

 _"_ _We have grown, Shinichi. We separated, and that only strengthened my love for you. But it also made me realize what love I have for you." Her eyes searched his, and Shinichi didn't understand what she was looking for, because his world was breaking-!_

 _"_ _And I think we both know that we don't really love each other like that." Shinichi opened his mouth ready to protest. He did! Ran might not, but he did! Otherwise, what was he fighting for this whole time?_

 _But he couldn't say it. Because he knew it too. He took the temporary antidotes because he wanted to reaffirm his bond with her, the bond Shinichi had with her as a lover, not the bond Conan had as a baby brother. But soon, he became comfortable with his life as Conan with Ran._

 _At first, he thought he wanted that life as Ran's husband. But Shinichi couldn't keep lying to himself with all the evidences pointing to only one truth._

 _He loved Ran, but it was a familial love only. Ran treated him like family, and he didn't know how much it supported him until he realized how he was expecting Ran to treat him like that even when he got back to his real age._

 _Shinichi looked down, knowing that Ran was tired too, and he was keeping her back with his past love for her._

 _"_ _Will-," he started, eyes meeting hers hesitantly, "will you accept Shinichi, even then?"_

 _Ran laughed under her breath. "Shinichi had always been family." Her eyes glittered, and Shinichi felt an answering smile tug at his lips as he watched an invisible weight drop away from her shoulders, "Just make sure Shinichi won't call me Ran-nee-chan okay? I'll still be the big sister, but even that would be weird for a full grown Shinichi."_

 _And Shinichi laughed with her, the same invisible weight falling away from his shoulders. The idea that he had to love Ran as a lover had acted as a shackle to them both, because expectations from other friends had pressured them to do that. Without that, they were free to love each other as siblings, as they had even when they were young._

Shinichi blinked, unaware that he had fallen asleep. He groaned sleepily, hearing excited voices come from the kitchen. He sat up slowly, covering his mouth as a yawn attacked him. Rubbing his eyes, he became aware of camera flashes behind his eyelids. Opening one eye, he was met with the giggling sight of Haibara and Ran, both carrying phones in their hands.

He flushed, only to be met with more flashes. "Stop that!" he flailed around, still too disoriented by sleep to stand properly.

Haibara snickered one last time, before pocketing her phone. Ran sneaked in one more picture of him as he pouted—glared—before she closed her phone as well. "Ai-chan told me you had a fever, so I came by to check on you." She placed a hand on his forehead, nodded after a while, continued, "I can't eat with you guys tonight, my dad would be expecting me home for dinner. I'm sure you have enough guardians here anyway." She giggled, motioning towards the kitchen, where the voices of excited Detective Boys was coming from as they asked Akai some more stories from when he was an active agent.

"Now, you behave for Ai-chan, she knows best after all." Ran ordered, hands on her hips. Shinichi sighed, "Yes, Ran-nee-chan." Ran merely giggled again, while Haibara snickered behind her mouth. "I'll be going then. Bye guys!" She raised her voice slightly, and three heads poked out behind the door.

"Bye Ran-nee-chan!"

"Goodbye Ran-san."

"Goodbye Akai-san!"

With a final wave, Ran slipped out of the door, and Shinichi was assaulted by three children, who poked and prodded him towards the kitchen, where Akai was waiting with the food set on the table. Life was good.

* * *

A/N: Blame Pinterest. It kept on tempting me with artworks and I couldn't resist! So a long background for some of the characters, just in case you're wondering why some would not be mad at Shin-chan later on.

I accept suggestions! I'm just basically writing this because I want everyone to love Shin-chan, though yes, this is mostly shounen ai. I'm sorry. My friend had managed to convert me to the fujoshi side.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Life was _not_ good.

Shinichi brought his forehead to the table, and regretted it immediately as pain burst through his head. He couldn't believe he was stuck doing _homework_ of all things. He brought down an evil organization that had roots all over the world for God's sake! Why wasn't that an appropriate prerequisite to his graduation from high school?!

"Ah! Shinichi-nii-san isn't doing his homework anymore!"

Shinichi yelped as he was promptly smacked with a newspaper by Haibara at Ayumi's shout. He rubbed his arm, grateful that the devil-child couldn't reach his head.

"Shinichi-nii-san, that isn't good you know!" Mitsuhiko reprimanded the teen. Genta grumbled, "If we gotta suffer, you gotta suffer with us too!"

Haibara chuckled at his side, and Shinichi shot her a petulant glare. It was a weekend, and right after Haibara had determined that his fever wouldn't come back, she dragged him to the Professor's house, where the Detective Boys were doing their homework.

Shinichi sighed as he resumed tackling the pile of homework he had to finish. He had been out of school for two years after all, and he had one year of high school homework to do for the school to announce him as officially graduated.

Not that the school didn't know that he could have breezed through the last year of high school if he hadn't been turned into Conan; it was all simply formalities, and as soon as Shinichi could finish them, he could take his exams and finally look into which college he would attend.

Professor Agasa came in the living room where they were all working, carrying a tray of refreshments with him. "Now now, Shinichi would be able to finish his homework when he wants to. Why don't you guys eat some snacks first? A full stomach would allow you to think more clearly, wouldn't it?"

The children cheered, and Shinichi smiled wanly as he took the only cup of coffee on the tray. Haibara shot a pointed look at the coffee, but Shinichi deliberately turned his head. A few more sips of the invigorating liquid had him ready to tackle his papers again. He was nearly halfway done anyway, as the material was easy enough for him.

Shinichi was so engrossed in finishing his homework that he didn't realize the passage of time. He was down to the last few papers when lunch was already being handed out to the hungry children. Haibara sighed at the sight of the detective hunched over the table. The idiot was starting to overwork himself again, and though Haibara was thankful that he was only focusing on homework instead of criminals, she'd rather he wasn't overworked at all.

Hopping down from her chair, Haibara started to drag the detective away from his papers. "Wha—Haibara!"

"It's lunch time, Kudo-kun. You can finish that after, can't you?" Shinichi opened his mouth, about to protest, "Or would you rather be forced fed instead?" He reluctantly shut his mouth, aware that the mini-scientist would make good on her word.

"Shinichi-nii-san! Sit next to me!" Ayumi said, patting the chair next to her. The two boys on the other side of the table grimaced slightly, but with the obvious age difference between Shinichi and the girl, they let it go.

Shinichi obediently sat down, thanking Agasa who had put down his plate and utensils in front of him. He was just about to reach out for the rice when it was given to him by Haibara, and he took it sheepishly.

"What do you want to eat Shinichi-nii-san?" Ayumi asked, and Shinichi shrugged slightly. "I'm not really a picky eater, so anything's fine Ayumi-chan."

"Ah! Then you can have my vegetables!" Genta exclaimed, leaning over the table to transfer them to his plate.

"Genta-kun." Haibara admonished, and the chubby boy shrinked back into his seat. "While Shinichi-nii-san can use some vegetables, you should eat yours too."

"That's right!" Mitsuhiko added, "Besides, what Shinichi-nii-san should be doing now is build up his strength, so we should add meat as well." The boy plucked some meat from the dishes, depositing them onto Shinichi's plate neatly.

"Eh? Wouldn't some fish be better?" Ayumi argued, already picking some and placing them on his plate. Genta didn't add to the growing argument, taking the time to put all his hated vegetables on Shinichi's plate and making a shushing motion.

Shinichi could only watch helplessly as the food on his plate started to multiply. He tried stopping them, but they only shot him a 'just-sit-there-and-I'll-take-care-of-you' stare, clearly copied from Ran. He shot pleading eyes to Haibara, who he just noticed was holding her phone again. And judging from her smug look. . .

"Are you filming this?" Shinichi demanded. He really didn't want his mother to know that he was weak against sneak attacks right now. Goodness knows what she'll unleash on him.

Haibara merely waved him off, thankfully closing her phone (Shinichi made a mental note to steal her phone and delete the video later), and finally bringing the three children to order. "Okay, that's enough. Shinichi-nii-san won't be able to finish too much, and we don't want to waste any food."

Before Shinichi could breathe out a relieved sigh, Haibara added, "You guys can make him eat some more fish and rice later for dinner."

The children cheered, and Shinichi inwardly groaned at the excited eyes of the children, who were now discussing what vitamins and proteins he needs. Agasa wasn't helping, taking this time to teach the children the different types of proteins and where they could be found in food.

"You'd better start eating, then." Haibara nudged him, smirk still in place. "You do want to finish your homework today, right?"

Shinichi pouted at his food, plotting heavily when he could steal Haibara's phone, noting the flash that indicated another picture of him taken.

She'd better just be keeping those to herself!

* * *

A/N: I can't stop writing background stories. Ugh. Expect more from them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Haibara was definitely _not_ keeping the pictures and videos to herself.

Shinichi wasn't aware of this, of course. She was pretty sure the detective would have left the country by now if he knew just who she was sending those pictures to. This was a conspiracy after all, but they do have permission from his mom.

Yukiko-san had been the one to create that group chat after all, and had taken the liberty of sending daily reports of Shinichi when they visited. Sometimes, she'd share some cute baby pictures that she found while scanning through some photo albums.

This had only incited the need for the obsessive mom to have more pictures now, and Haibara had been given the task herself.

Haibara retrieved the SD card from her laptop, putting it back into her phone. She'd allow the detective to take it and erase the pics. It would drop his guard into thinking that there were no more copies.

She had just uploaded the most recent photo, the one where Shinichi was helping the Detective Boys with their homework, having finished with his. Immediately after that, a response from Yukiko-san appeared on her screen.

 _-Aww! Shin-chan looks so cute!_

 _-He really does adore those children doesn't he?_

 _-My Shin-chan looks so sweet!_

Haibara was surprised though, when Hattori Heiji typed back. When he first learned about the 'conspiracy' as he called it, he was outraged and wanted to tell his best friend immediately. After some logical reasoning, and some well-placed threats by Mouri Ran, he relented with the condition that he was added, so that he was aware of what was going on around his admittedly trouble-magnet of a friend.

 _-Should have seen him when he was trying to convince people he was just a kid. Could've given you cavities from the sweetness._

 _-Right?! He was never that sweet when he was really just a child! That's what I loved the most about his second childhood though~~!_

Haibara snorted softly as she read the next texts on Shinichi's cuteness. She was pretty sure the only thing keeping Hattori from tattling on his friend was because the Detective of the East rarely told him about his daily life either, despite being self-proclaimed best friends. Honestly, she was unsure how Hattori had managed to keep his mouth shut; the number of times he had slipped up and called Conan as Kudo was worrying.

 _-Though I still don't know how you could take so many pictures of him without him noticing, little lady._

 _-Right Ai-chan! He keeps sensing me when I so much as take out my phone! It's unfair!_

Haibara rolled her eyes at the blatant jealousy. She knew the answer and wasn't going to tell them. It would only make them more jealous. So far, only Ran-san and herself had been able to upload more than 5 pictures of the paranoid detective.

She had asked the detective herself, having witnessed the teen whip around and frown at a teenager who was obviously star-struck at the famous detective, while Haibara had her phone trained on him for at least 10 seconds before he had noticed.

Apparently, the detective was so used to Haibara doing it before that he no longer paid much attention to it. 'Besides,' he had explained, 'Ran usually keeps those photos to herself, so I let her do it most of the time.' She can only guess for his mother, but after having met her, she could safely conclude that she had probably done something embarrassing that had traumatized the detective that even the motion of flipping her phone open made the teen hold on to his clothes tightly.

Hmm. Haibara had to get the story out from Yukiko-san sometime.

"Haibara!"

At the call, the girl immediately shut her laptop's lid close, going up the stairs of her basement laboratory. She knew the detective wouldn't go down unless necessary, so she was safe for a while.

"What is it, Kudo-kun?"

He frowned at her, probably observing her slightly harried state that no one but the most observant could see, but decided not to ask.

"Can I stay for tonight?" He looked away, one hand rubbing the back of his head. Haibara felt her hand twitch towards her phone automatically. "Akai-san is visiting his family for the weekend, and my parents aren't home."

As his cheeks pinked slightly, Haibara silently flipped out her phone and started taking pictures, making sure to turn the flash off. It wasn't too dark out yet, so the lighting would still be good.

"I'm. . . just not used to sleeping in a big house alone anymore, you know? When we were planning, Akai-san was living there, and sometimes, Takagi-keiji or someone would stay the night as well. So yeah. . ."

Haibara stealthily closed her phone and placed it back into the pocket of her lab gown when she saw Shinichi's head turn.

"You didn't have to ask." She replied, "You stayed over here pretty often when you were Conan didn't you? We're used to it."

Shinichi brightened, flashing a smile at her direction. "Yeah, but I just wanted to make sure you knew. I know you still have nightmares." His eyes softened in worry. "I didn't want you to get up in the middle of the night and freak out at the sight of a teenager when you were used to Conan."

Haibara rolled her eyes, keeping the warmth in her chest secret. "You're just worried I won't shoot you in your sleep or something. Go get your things Kudou-kun."

Shinichi just laughed, turning around to prepare some clothes. "Got it, Haibara."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

"Ran! When is that detective geek going to come here? We've been waiting for hours!"

Ran shook her head at the dramatics of her friend. Sonoko had not been pleased at first at the return of Shinichi, much less when she found out that Shinichi didn't love Ran as a lover. She didn't understand, but Ran had admitted to her that she didn't love Shinichi like that either, so she decided to forgive the detective.

It probably helped that Makoto and Shinichi got along well, though Ran felt that Makoto was seeing Conan in Shinichi, and was amicable to him because of that. She had initially been worried, having been fully alerted to the consequences if an enemy learned the secret behind Conan. Shinichi had assured her, however. He never told her if he told Makoto the story or not, but she decided not to pry, learning to be thankful instead that Shinichi had another friend besides her, Sonoko (despite his protests), and Heiji with Kazuha that was his age.

She felt that it was also one of the reasons why Sonoko had forgiven Shinichi without much of a fuss, as the heiress had gotten attached to Conan, despite her contradictions. Detective Queen Sonoko and Sleeping Kogoro had not made a comeback after the return of Shinichi, obviously, but the two had taken great pains to awe Shinichi with their stories of the cases 'they' had solved. Numerous mentions of 'the brat with glasses' had been thrown around, and Shinichi merely listened with the patience that he hadn't had before.

"Ah!" Sonoko shouted, grabbing at Ran's arm as she pointed at a figure in the distance. "Found him! As punishment for making us wait, I'll make him carry all the bags when we shop later!"

Ran merely rolled her eyes. She had long ago understood that Sonoko and Shinichi got along best when they were pretending to not be friends at all, though she never really understood why. She waited patiently at her side as Shinichi slid to a stop in front of them, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"Sorry. . . got caught up. . .murder case. . .train. . ."

Sonoko planted her hands on her hips. "That's what you get for riding in public transport, geek. Your mom left behind a car for you, didn't she? You should use that so I can make you carry more of my shopping bags!"

Shinichi wiped the sweat from his brow as he dryly replied, "I'd like to remind you that the car is for _my_ benefit, thanks. And I would have taken the car, but Ran won't let me use it yet."

Ran was unaffected by the pout, starting to walk as Sonoko turned betrayed eyes at her. "You haven't really recovered yet, Shinichi. And with the way you tend to drive like your mom, I'd be comfortable knowing you have full control over yourself before you drive yourself to places."

"Yeah yeah." Shinichi grumbled under his breath. He walked on Ran's right, while Sonoko was on her left, as the two guided Shinichi through the wide campus of Tokyo University. Shinichi had managed to finish all his necessary paperwork in Teitan High School, and had asked for their—well, hers mostly—help as he got ready for admission into the university. She and Sonoko were attending there as well, and Ran had chosen to follow her mother into law.

Sonoko had been confused, wondering why Shinichi needed to study what he was already putting into practice, but had taken it into stride as she was in the same situation. Everyone knew Shinichi couldn't deny his mother anything; so if she wanted him to take up college, he would. Sonoko, on the other hand, had decided to pursue business and take over the Suzuki Corporation, and though she could skip college and get experience by working at their company, had decided to build up on her own skills that she can use to elevate their company further. Her family had been surprised, but pleased. They asked about her change of heart, and she answered with typical dramatics.

She would never admit that it was Shinichi who had given her the idea to do so. She had asked for Ran's help on what course she should take, when Shinichi, who had been invited for lunch, had mentioned:

 _"_ _Why not business?"_

 _Sonoko glared at him. "Haven't you been listening?! I'm trying to choose between fashion design and managerial courses! Ah, just think of what kind of idols I would handle! Or perhaps my very own clothing line!"_

 _Shinichi cut into her daydreams. "Yeah, so why not business?" Sonoko dropped her hands that had been clasped in a praying position. Ran intervened, "What do you mean by that?"_

 _Shinichi shrugged. "She has a passion for a lot of things, and the Suzuki Corporation has its hands on a lot of those. If she pursued business, she could use that passion to see what would be worthwhile to invest in."_

 _Sonoko blinked. She didn't expect the detective geek to actually be helpful. Guess keeping him around even though he and Ran weren't an item anymore was a good idea._

When they were finally done, and Shinichi had a copy of his schedule handed to him by an awe-struck staff, Sonoko demanded that they go shopping, to the usual protest of Shinichi. Ran, however, couldn't help but be distracted by the stares as they walked down the path of the campus.

Shinichi had noticed first, of course, but hadn't done anything beyond warily eye those who looked like they wanted to come closer. Sonoko whispered, "Hey Ran. Why are they looking at us like that?" Before Ran could answer, Shinichi said, "Ignore them. Hurry up you two, so Sonoko won't keep us at the mall until closing time again." Sonoko was about to yell at the retreating back of the detective, when they heard whispers around them.

"Hey, isn't that Kudo Shinichi?"

"There wasn't a murder case in the university though, was there?"

"No way, is he going to study here?"

"Seriously?! Oh God, I'd better tell Misaki to attend school on Monday. I can't believe we can see him here!"

Ran and Sonoko exchanged glances as they hurried to catch up to the detective in question.

"Well, there goes a peaceful university life for him huh?" Ran could only wince in agreement. Poor Shinichi.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

"Kuroba, stop grinning like that." Hakuba ordered.

Kaito turned, an innocent expression on his face as he asked, "Like what?" Hakuba eyed his—reluctant—friend in distrust. He wanted to say, "Like KID", but after he and Nakamori-keibu had been informed of the snipers at the KID heists right before an organization had been taken down with _KID's help as reported by FBI agents_ , he had refrained from accusing his once classmate thoughtlessly anymore. Besides, they both knew Hakuba wouldn't arrest KID anymore, especially if he doesn't want to be on the defending side of his girlfriend's mop-fu.

"Like you're planning on making someone's life—usually mine—very horrible and ypu'd take absolute enjoyment from every second of it." He said instead.

Kaito rolled his eyes at him. The two had been waiting at the cafeteria for Aoko. While their schedules doesn't match at all, with Hakuba taking criminology, Aoko taking police enforcement, and Kaito aiming for both chemistry and engineering at the same time, it was a wonder that they were able to share at least an hour of free time to have lunch. Hakuba suspected the intervention of one Kuroba Kaito, but had decided to simply be thankful instead.

"I just spotted an old friend."

"What old friend?" Aoko asked, sliding into the seat next to Hakuba. She kissed the detective's cheek in greeting, and Kaito pretended to gag at the sight.

"Finally Ahoko! I was starving here!" His childhood friend glared at him for the dramatics, but slid across a slice of chocolate cake that made him beam with absolute delight.

"Well Kuroba?" Hakuba demanded, mind still fixed on what had made him grin like that. "Who was this old friend that you saw?" Aoko also fixed her stare at her friend at the question, and Kaito glared at him for being so nosy.

"If you must know, it's a friend that I made through our parents." Kaito shrugged. "Aoko wouldn't know them, as we met by going to their place instead of ours."

Aoko hummed, appeased by the answer. Hakuba's frown deepened; his question still wasn't answered.

"So who _is_ this friend of yours?"

Kaito could feel the urge of dyeing his hair into another color again, but decided to save his prank for another time. He might meet his friend later after all, and had to be prepared to amaze him with his tricks, not waste them on the annoyance in front of him.

"He's Kudo Shinichi; we met because his mom was a student of my father. You might have heard of him?"

"Heard of him?" Aoko shrieked, having recovered her voice after nearly choking on her food. "He's been in the news for a whole month straight after it was revealed that he was part of the takedown of that organization." She took a breath, calming down slightly, "My dad has been ranting about him, something about 'stupid teens having no business going after dangerous people' or something."

Hakuba could only gape at him. "You are friends with the famed Detective of the East? _You?_ " Kaito glared at him for the implication behind his words. While Hakuba would no longer try to put KID behind bars, they had never really talked about his night job as a thief. One, because Hakuba wouldn't be torn by his conscience about knowing the true identity of the thief. Two, because Kaito had said that if he wouldn't reveal it to his childhood friend, he certainly wouldn't reveal it to him.

Aoko suddenly snatched back the slice of cake she had given Kaito. "You never told me he was attending this university? And that you're actually friends with him? After I had told you countless of times how I wanted to talk to him?"

Kaito snatched his plate back. "I said he was an _old friend_ didn't I? I wasn't sure if he'd still be able to remember me, especially since we were children when we met and hadn't kept contact since."

Hakuba stared as Kaito went back to eating. He was familiar with the so called 'Heisei Holmes', having been intrigued and annoyed at the thought that someone his age had been a detective so good, he had the media calling him after Hakuba's favorite detective. He had followed the cases Kudo had solved, recognizing his detective prowess yet was scornful at the obvious delight his fellow teen had showed at the attention. He had been suspicious of the sudden media silence for two years, though that had been explained easily enough by his work undercover as he played a vital role in taking down the organization.

He was a bit envious of the clear respect the teen had managed to garner at the action, as police force all over Japan had been mobilized by Kudo himself to simultaneously arrest members of the organization. His own father had been contacted directly, though he had been reluctant to believe at first especially when he was told that some had infiltrated the police force. Nevertheless, with such respect, Hakuba's opinion had been forced to adjust as he witnessed the sudden change in attitude of the returned detective, and he had been trying to contact the teen himself.

And here Kuroba was friends with him? Kuroba, who was also highlighting as the Kaitou KID? When and where did they even meet?

Hakuba frowned, suddenly remembering a time when Nakamori-keibu had ranted about the appearance of KID in the blimp provided by Suzuki Jirokichi. For once, the man had been grateful that he had been there, as it had been reported that one of the men holding them hostage had thrown off Edogawa Conan from the blimp, leaving KID to save him from falling to death.

What had been more interesting, however, was that some of the police force from Beika had been contacted by one Kudo Shinichi to pick him and the kid up, only to reveal that it was KID in disguise. It had caused lots of speculation whether Kudo was KID himself, but Edogawa had put them to rest, saying that he had 'called Shinichi-nii-san about their situation and that KID had been given permission to use his face just this one time in thanks for saving his life'.

Did that mean that Kudo had a contact with Kuroba? And he hadn't reported it to the police?

Hakuba leaned back in his chair, relieved. As much as he hated to admit it, he was worried for Kuroba, and didn't want to see him put in jail because of his friendship with a renowned detective who could identify Kuroba as KID immediately if he was as close to the KID Killer as he was reported to be. However, if Kudo was amicable enough to allow the thief to even _use his identity in front of the police,_ then Hakuba would be pleased to meet a fellow detective without fear for his friend.

Aoko had just excused herself to the comfort rooms when Hakuba had asked Kuroba. "Do you trust Kudo Shinichi?"

Kuroba visibly startled at the question, but was quick to recover. Hakuba's fear was eased even further at seeing his nod. Kuroba was as paranoid as they come, so if he trusted a _detective_ , then he would just have to trust his friend's judgment. Hakuba ignored the warmth at the thought that _he_ was also part of the people Kuroba trusted.

They made no further mention of the topic, Hakuba finally managing to finish his food and Kuroba ordering another slice of the cake. They were relaxed enough in each other's presence, and Hakuba had just pulled out one of his beloved Sherlock Holmes books while Kuroba was still eating yet _another_ slice of chocolate cake, when Aoko returned.

And beside her was a girl that could pass off as her twin, one that Hakuba had met in some cases before to identify as Mouri Ran. And right behind her was Suzuki Sonoko, one that Hakuba had met before on a KID heist, and one Kudo Shinichi.

"You guys, look!" Aoko introduced excitedly. Apparently, they had met in the toilet, and had both been surprised to see their doppelganger. Suzuki had been amused at the whole situation, and had instantly became friends with the friendly girls. Waiting outside had been Kudo, who Aoko had instantly snatched to begin her questioning. Kudo had been amicable enough, and Aoko decided that she cannot leave Hakuba out of the loop, now that she and Kaito both knew and had connections to Kudo.

Hakuba politely nodded, and he watched as Kuroba acted as himself, smoothly offering a yellow rose to each of the girls in a puff of smoke. Suzuki had blushed and giggled, though Hakuba had been intrigued at Mouri's reaction.

She had stared at Kuroba, took the rose hesitantly, and stared at him again before what seemed like realization entered her eyes. She glanced back at Kudo, who had amusingly taken the blue rose offered to him, and seemed to have a silent conversation with their eyes before a smile broke out on her face.

Suzuki had taken a look at Kuroba's face, and suddenly yelled. "You look just like the detective freak!" She looked back to Kudo, frowning, "Are you sure you're an only son?"

Kudo rolled his eyes, gently nudging the girl out of the way. "Yes, I'm _sure_ Sonoko. Besides," he directed the next question directly to Kuroba, "You're Toichi-sensei's son, aren't you?"

Hakuba was sure he wasn't the only one thrown for a loop at that. Even Mouri (and Hakuba wondered what Kuroba had done for the girl to recognize him immediately; he was prepared for a detective to find out, not including the childhood friend) was confused.

"You know his father?" Mouri asked, sitting down next to Suzuki, facing Kudo. Kudo smirked, and Hakuba felt an instinctive shiver crawl up his spine at the familiar sight.

"You met him before too Ran." At the surprise on her face, he added, "Remember when we were kids, and you were sure there was a monster in school?"

Mouri frowned, trying to remember. "Ah! You mean that guy who gave us that really hard riddle?"

Hakuba didn't have to look at Kuroba to understand what he was currently feeling. His Poker Face had fallen, as it usually was when the topic of discussion was his father (who Hakuba suspected to be the original KID), and he was genuinely curious, wanting to hear more about the man he had respected even after his death.

"He gave you riddles?" Kuroba's smile was a bit nostalgic, and Mouri's gaze softened. "He did. He scared me at first, but I had fun trying to decipher his message with Shinichi."

Her smile turned apologetic. "I didn't really interact with him much, though I remember him calling Shinichi 'older brother'?"

Gazes turned to Kudo, who shrugged, placing an elbow on the table and leaning his chin on his palm. Hakuba wondered if the seemingly effortless grace the boy has was natural or not, realizing that all eyes were on the teen, his included.

"He had a sort of rivalry with my father, and my mother was his apprentice." His eyes seemed to be challenging Kuroba, and Hakuba didn't want to think of the implications that a whole family was abetting and aiding an internationally wanted criminal. "If you want, you can visit our home in Beika when my parents are back from their vacation." He rolled his eyes, but there was fondness to the gesture. "They're sticking pretty close to me now, and would probably back by the end of the month."

Everyone settled down after a moment, seemingly able to converse easily despite it being their first time meeting each other. (Technically, and Hakuba cannot deny his curiosity as to when exactly Kudo had met Kuroba, and in his KID get-up at that.)

Suzuki and Kuroba had started to fangirl over KID, while Mouri and Aoko listened. Although, Aoko was not starting on her usual KID rant as she was distracted by Mouri asking for her father and she ended up ranting about his late-night tendencies, commiserating with Mouri as she shared her own story.

And Kudo. . .Kudo had taken one look at the cover of his book, and promptly asked him with glittering eyes, "You're Hakuba Saguru, Superintendent-General Hakuba's son, right?"

And he was hit by a feeling of déjà vu, before Kudo continued, shaking his hand and saying, "I'm Kudo Shinichi, Conan had told me a lot about you. He said you were a fan of Holmes?"

And that was that. Hakuba didn't even stand a chance. He felt a pitying gaze from both Ran-san and Sonoko-san (who both insisted that Hakuba drop the formality), as he conversed with a fellow fan.

Kudo had become Shinichi as they talked, the conversation lengthening as they realized they shared some classes together. They shared stories on cases they had solved, asked each other questions that only a true Sherlockian would be able to answer, and had exchanged phone numbers by the end of the day.

Hakuba was so pleased, he didn't react to an incensed Kuroba's prank except to wave off the smoke bomb, not pausing in his reply to Shinichi.

He didn't even mind the shriek Kuroba had released upon realizing exactly _who_ he was texting. It was a good day.

* * *

A/N: I have no idea why this ended up so long. Probably because it's Hakuba, and Hakuba notices things damn him.

And it was seriously hard separating Mouri and Ran, etc. So if you find any mistakes, blame Hakuba.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

Shinichi checked his phone with a sigh. He hadn't realized that by giving Saguru his phone number, he had given KID—Kaito—his number as well. Saguru had been a pleasant guy to talk to, and they constantly shared thoughts on various Sherlock Holmes books. He had been surprised, but not displeased when the next morning, an unknown number had texted Shinichi, only to reveal that it was Kaito's.

Shinichi had been amused to find that Kaito was attending the same university as him, and constantly saw the magician. He was surprised by how friendly the magician was with him, but shrugged it off. He had enjoyed his talks with KID, and was only pleased that his civilian persona was easy to talk to as well. He had suspected that Kaito had managed to get a copy of his schedule, though he was still unsure whether Ran had been his source or Sonoko.

Probably Sonoko, as Ran had immediately pegged Kaito as KID, and had not been inclined to forgive the thief yet for something that she never told Shinichi. She only mumbled that she 'thought it was Shinichi, and the stupid thief took advantage of that', and he had not been able to pry more than that from her.

Upon opening his phone though, he was not greeted by another perky text from the magician, but rather, a message from Takagi-keiji, asking if he was free to come by the police headquarters that day. Frowning, Shinichi immediately texted an affirmative, already changing his clothes as he debated whether to tell Haibara where he was going.

In the end, he decided that a quick text won't hurt. He sneaked out the back though, making sure to avoid going past the Professor's house.

Upon reaching Division 1, he made his way to Takagi-keiji, returning greetings from other police officers he met on the way.

"Shinichi-kun!" Takagi greeted. The man had always been one of Shinichi's favorite officers, and it showed with the way Shinichi treated him and Satou-san. Though Shinichi was kind to the other police officers, he was more comfortable with Takagi, who had not pushed for answers when he was Conan, but made sure to treat the boy with respect and listen to his requests.

"Takagi-keiji." Shinichi nodded in greeting. "You wanted to see me?"

Takagi suddenly looked sheepish, and said, "Ahh. Well, actually, Miwa—eh, Satou-san wanted to ask your opinion on a cold case."

Shinichi's brow furrowed. Satou-san has his phone number though; actually, nearly the majority of Division 1's officers has Shinichi on their contact list, and vice versa. It was inevitable after the numerous times Shinichi had to be called to a murder case. Though they do have their own detectives, for cases where suspects were being ingenious (annoying, Satou-san called them), Shinichi would be called on the scene.

"Is there some reason why Satou-san could not text me herself?" Shinichi prodded, feeling a bit suspicious about the whole thing.

Takagi shifted his eyes away from the teen's, suddenly realizing why so many suspects seem to give away so many things when they were questioned by Shinichi. Though Shinichi's eyes could be piercing and cold when he breaks the murderer's plan piece by piece, tearing through their carefully crafted alibis with the sharp gaze, it was a different matter when the teen wanted to fish information out of a suspect.

The teen had learned, through his days as Conan, that being as unsuspecting as possible lowered down guards, and provided more chances for suspects to slip up and reveal a crucial piece of the puzzle. Now grown, Takagi had thought that Shinichi would not be able to utilize that interrogation technique any longer. After all, Shinichi was famous, and a teen asking questions would make anyone cautious of what they say, right?

Unfortunately for Takagi, no. Shinichi had mastered the art of being as innocent as possible. And while Conan had been cute while doing it, Shinichi made you feel as if you wanted to do anything, as long as he keeps on looking at you like that. At least that was how it was described by one of the unfortunate victims of Shinichi's new interrogation technique, which police officers had started to call: Sapphire Manipulation.

Takagi was just about to give in, when Satou-san came in, and immediately covered for Takagi as he ran away. Shinichi was about to give chase when he was stopped by Satou-san, who had grabbed his arm tightly.

"Now now, Shinichi-kun. You wouldn't want to deny me the pleasure of eating lunch with you, would you?" Satou said, as she dragged the horrified Shinichi to her car, where Takagi and other police officers like Shiratori, Chiba,Yumi, and Miike were waiting.

Shinichi could only sigh as he was bundled into the car, knowing by now to admit defeat. Takagi slumped in relief, knowing that Shinichi won't hold a grudge against him. As they started to drive to their location, Shinichi was already chatting comfortably with the other officers, sharing that he had already attended Tokyo University, and that the Detective Boys were getting better at piecing clues together.

Miwako looked over at his slumped form as he sat in the front seat, and snickered silently. Takagi just slumped even more, knowing that he can't argue. After the reveal of Conan, the takedown of the Organization, and Shinichi's return, the police officers had taken notice of the teen's health.

They had been notified by Ran about his delicate condition for a few weeks as he adjusted, and many of the police officers couldn't help but be guilty when they call the teen to a murder scene. They usually escorted him to his house to ensure that he wouldn't encounter any other cases (being the Shinigami that he is, and by now, Takagi was sure that all of Japan's officers were notified of Shinichi's nickname other than Heisei Holmes).

Miwako started the campaign "Have Officers on Lookout and Maintain Vigilance Everyday for Shinichi" or HOLMES for short (the few officers that had the guts to say that there was no 'v' in 'HOLMES' became Miwako's gun practice-dummy). That included dragging the teen to lunch, when an anonymous source (Ran and Hakase) tells them that they wouldn't be able to do so. Of course, this meant that Shinichi got suspicious when Yumi kept 'driving by' his house. Takagi was simply the next guinea pig.

Takagi just knew this was going to backfire on him someday, and he'd make sure that Shinichi knew it was Miwako's fault.

Hearing the teen laugh in the backseat, Takagi could only sigh. They were all so protective over the teen, it was better to let Miwako be the mastermind than anyone else. At least the plan was somewhat sane then.


	7. Chapter 7

Takano Misano was having a bad day. He woke up late for work, got stuck in a traffic because of some police cars chasing after someone, didn't notice he had his shirt on backwards while talking to his crush, slipped in front of his _other_ crush, had to take the blame for broken plates instead of the stupid pretty-boy his crushes had a crush on, and humiliated by his manager right in front of his friends (who may or may not also be girls he had a crush on).

So really, could he be blamed for finally getting some peace by setting up an "accident" for his manager and getting pretty-boy blamed for it?

It was getting ruled as an accident by nearly everyone in the shop, he was seen as the hero who tried to save his manager, his co-workers were clinging to him while glaring at pretty-boy. It was going to be a good day.

 _That is_ , if only a certain karate-champion university girl with her best friend hadn't been there and automatically dialed someone when they hear someone screaming.

He could have salvaged the situation if he was the one answering the questions asked by a certain sapphire-eyed detective through the phone, but he was too engrossed in comforting his crushes who were crowding him in concern. (He must admit the view is impressive while sitting down and being leaned over by his friends *crush*)

He stood up as the front doors opened and an emergency team came in. He watched "worriedly" as his manager was loaded on the ambulance. He was just turning back to comfort his girls (and maybe get a hug) when police cars came screeching in.

Misano didn't panic; his alibi was perfect and there were witnesses who supported him. He stepped forward, intent on being a helpful citizen, when he was derailed by the sight of another person stepping out of the car. He appreciated (ogled) the slim shoulders peeking out from the slightly large ocean-green colored sweater, and the black jeans snugly fitting the butt and legs (he wondered what sport they take) when the person leaned down to take their bag from the police car.

When the person turned around, the first thing that registered was an adorable cowlick. Next was the utterly mesmerizing blue eyes, and how they fit the slim face so perfectly, it was model-worthy. Misano would shortly realize his mistake in not recognizing the Heisei Holmes, as he watched the detective walk up to his friends.

He listened as the boy was quickly shown the area where the manager had his "little accident" and pointed out a few details missed by the police. By this time, he was trying to remember from which magazine he had seen the angel (and he was pretty sure that was an angel, no human could smirk like that so temptingly).

He had finally connected "boy-angel" with "crime scenes" and "cowlick" when he noticed the same mesmerizing eyes boring into him.

And then Kudo Shinichi started to unravel the entire plan he worked on for a few months in just a few short minutes.

Simply because _his tie lowered down a few measly inches_.

 _Shit._

Generally, the day would end for Misano confessing everything and obediently being walked back to the police car where he would spend his days in prison stewing over some reality-breaking words from the boy-angel detective (which was a regular pattern for nearly all of the detective's cases for criminals who had not really taken into account what it means to take a life).

But Misano, having spotted an unattended motorcycle by one of the curious onlookers decided to make a break for it. From there, his bad day would have levelled up to _very bad_ , because getting chased down by an incensed Satou Miwako was _not_ a good idea.

Unfortunately for him, he decided to bring someone along. And who else but the boy-angel that he was sure was his destiny? (In reality, Shinichi had only been near the motorcycle because he spotted a kitten near its tires, but that's for another story). Misano dashed over (thanking his delinquent days that made him proficient in breaking out cuffs), dragged the boy-angel in front of him, and drove off.

Normally, Shinichi would only need to get one kick in to stop the vehicle immediately. But his hands had automatically clutched onto the animal hidden in his sweater, overbalancing him enough that left him in an awkward downwards position in front of Misano.

 _Fuck_.

Upgrading to "dragging the well-beloved Heisei Holmes to escape" would have earned enough ire. "Successfully escaping with said teen in an awkward position" earned him a meeting with Ran's fist in his stomach and a backflip with Satou regardless of whether the criminal was resisting or not. Megure would not have asked, and Division 1 would claim that nothing of the sort happened.

However, upon being tossed in front of Misano, Shinichi landed on his stomach and part of his ribs. A part of his anatomy that happened to be very bruised from a car thief that decided to slam into the teen detective while he was still inspecting the hood of said car. (The car thief reversed quickly that led to a car chase from the rest of Division 1 while they bundled Shinichi into Yumi and Miike's patrol car. Takagi might or might not have deliberately hit the car thief with his car door when he tried escaping again.)

The pain elicited a loud yelp from the poor detective.

Watery blue eyes stared at them before the criminal sped off. (Startled, the kitten dug sharp claws near the shoulder and collarbone.)

Well. Megure knew that none of his officers would deliberately try to kill a suspect (in fear of being faced with Shinichi-kun's disappointed face he was sure), so he didn't bother trying to stop the very pissed off Satou from screeching out of the place, leaving tire marks behind.

He told Chiba to finish up, while he motioned for Shiratori to follow Satou and Takagi as he called up HQ and related to them the current proceedings. If he mentioned any unnecessary details like Shinichi-kun being in so much pain they saw actual tears, well, he was simply doing his duty by ensuring that no detail was omitted from his report.

Shinichi sighed as he tried to clutch the kitten more securely against his chest while trying to find a position that won't put more pressure on his bruises. The motorcycle wavered a bit before Misano managed to get the bike straight again. He ignored the grumbles from the culprit, more concerned in making the kitten more comfortable to stop the claws from digging into him again. Besides. . .

SCREECH!

Yep, that's Satou-san right behind them. He wiggled a bit, trying to angle his feet to get leverage and sit upright. The bike precariously tipped on one side, and he stiffened in response. Misano cursed above him as he fought for control, barely getting it back before Satou-san overtook them and cut off the way ahead.

"Shit!" Misano abruptly skidded to a stop, hauling the detective in front of him as a shield as he dragged them both backwards, letting the bike crash down. In his rush to escape however, he commits another mistake that would haunt him for the rest of his life. And the worst part, it's being captured by the nosy journalists and paparazzi who continuously stalked the detective he was currently holding hostage.

It was deadly silent as the police officers caught up and blocked any other escape routes, all completely fixated on the scene in front of them. Misano didn't notice the increasing killing intent, wildly turning around in a circle in a futile effort to find a way to escape.

Shinichi flushed as his feet scrambled to keep up with the abrupt movements. He needed to get into a proper upright position _now dammit_ , and he struggled to keep his hold on the arm around his neck. He tried to ignore the way his sweater was being pulled down on one shoulder, caught as it was in the culprit's grip. And he really tried to ignore the arm around his waist keeping him anchored to Misano's body, except that the culprit's hand had somehow creeped inside his sweater, pressing down on the bruise near his ribs.

It was at that moment that the kitten got tired of its tail being squished and bit down on Misano's arm, who released his hold on Shinichi's neck to fling the kitten away reflexively. Unfortunately, in his fright, his other hand tightened its hold on Shinichi, pressing down even more and bringing tears to his eyes as he opened his mouth in a gasp as the air was forcibly pushed out of his lungs.

In the next second however, Shinichi was able to get his feet under him, stomping down hard on the culprit's toes and leaving him free to duck as Ran greeted Misano with a flying kick to his face. He stumbled right into Takagi-keiji's arms as the police force converged on the downed Misano, who was being handcuffed by Satou-san with a frightening smile on her face as she read him his rights.

Shinichi had a moment to feel pity for the man before Ran rushed over to him in her big-sister-mode, urging him back to Satou-san's car with little protest. The journalists and paparazzi were kind enough to be satisfied with filming him getting into the car before giving their focus on the culprit.

He frowned, curious about this abrupt change in behavior when normally, he would be bombarded with questions. After thinking about it, he shrugged, deciding to simply be thankful for this rare chance.

In a few seconds, the car chase and the consequent capture of the culprit would simply become one of the successful cases closed by Kudo Shinichi. What became viral however, was a separate video taken by one of the bystanders, focusing completely on Shinichi. This video effectively bumped Shinichi up above Hattori Heiji and Hakuba Saguru in popularity rankings, to the utter embarrassment of said teen.

 _The video opens on the scene of the culprit being cornered by police cars. It shakes a bit, as the bystander wanders closer, recognizing Kudo Shinichi and the obvious eminent capture of the culprit. The camera followed the retreat of the culprit, then blurred as it zoomed in on the detective's face. Shinichi's face fills the screen, cheeks flushed and eyes just the slightest bit watery. He's biting his lower lip in agitation, blue eyes bright and slightly narrowed in annoyance._

 _The video zooms out a bit, showing the rumpled state of the detective's clothes. The detective turns his head, highlighting his slender neck, delicate collarbone and shoulder. Shinichi's side view can suddenly be seen, showing a peek up his stomach and the hint of abs, the view blocked by the culprit's hand around the chest area. The screen is suddenly filled with the view of the culprit's back for a few seconds (an annoyed 'tsk' is audible), before the video is cut._

Haibara had forbidden the blue-eyed teen from reading the comments on the video, which was only enforced by Division 1 and Ran, who had pulled the "lied-about-Conan-being-Shinichi" card. Which leaves the already-oblivious-teen-when-it-comes-to-romance unaware as to the real reason why this video was still trending and gaining him more followers.

Although having Shinichi think that the increase in stalkers is because they think he was a weak and useless opponent for criminals was a boon for his self-appointed bodyguards (read: everyone who really cared for the teen). After all, they didn't want to know how they were going to tell the teen that those people lusted for him, as in, _they want to keep you for themselves Kudo, rip your clothes off and kiss you, I dunno in which order exactly, which is why we're keeping an eye on you ahou, 'cuz those idiots don't know you're ours_ , which is a bad idea because it was Heiji who suggested it.

Either way, Ran was happy to practice karate moves on various opponents (apparently, it helps her refine her skills) and Sonoko was getting better at actually distracting Shinichi while Ran deals with the perverts. The Detective Boys practiced spotting those perverts by analyzing their body language, and Agasa was contemplating giving dart watches to the kids as well, though Haibara rejected the idea. It was enough that they had improved the watch to hold three more darts; currently, the kids would have too much fun darting perverts (and nearly everyone who looked at Shinichi twice was considered a pervert in their eyes) that they wouldn't be able to hide it from the teen.

Thankfully, Shinichi was more pre-occupied in caring for the kitten he had saved to act on his suspicions on their sneakiness. Actually, the kitten was a much more effective pervert-alarm than anything, completely attached to its savior that for a while, no one was able to come near Shinichi in a 1-mile radius. A black-gray ball of fur launching itself at your face was a very successful deterrent after all.

Omake:

"Hey," Shinichi wondered out loud, as his friends settled themselves around the house, probably still scared from his abduction, Shinichi thinks.

"Hmm? What is it, Shinichi?" Ran prompts.

"Do you think anyone told Takano-san that his manager is alright and recovering? I think that's one of the reasons why he was a bit unstable when he escaped; he really only wanted to scare his manager after all."

"Ah, it's alright, Shinichi, I think the police officers managed to tell him in the hospital." Agasa reassures the teen, only to be glared at by every person in the room when Shinichi sat up in alarm. "Takano-san was in the hospital?"

"It's alright, Shinichi-nii-san." Haibara said, as she brought over a mug for the teen, "It's only for a check-up. After all, you guys nearly skidded out of the motorcycle earlier, remember?"

Shinichi hummed his agreement, neatly distracted by the hot coffee that he wasn't able to see the grateful looks thrown at the little girl. "It's good that the manager didn't die though; I'm glad Takano-san didn't need to add another crime to his conscience."

"Oh he committed a crime alright." Ran muttered under her breath, "Probably a much heavier crime to be honest."

"What?"

"What? Nothing, nothing."


End file.
